Violence is the major cause of injury and death
in the United States and has been recognized as a health problem for that
reason. It is quite distressing to realize that the United States has the
fifth highest homicide rate (when compared to other countries which report
such data) considering the fact that the countries with high rates are
typically those at war or experiencing political and economic upheaval.
Homicide is the eleventh leading cause of death
in the United States. What is even more discouraging, however, is that it
is the second leading cause of death for all persons age 15 to 24 years
old. Black males, 15-24 years old, are at an even greater risk since
homicide is the single greatest cause of death for them.
If we are ever to see a reduction in these
alarming statistics, steps must be taken to educate our population about
the facts. One way to educate the public is through the schools. There are
curricula designed specifically for that purpose. The Montgomery County
Violence Prevention Project was started on the basis of The Violence
Prevention Curriculum for Adolescents which is a ten-session course that
addresses the growing problems of acquaintance violence among young
people. The curriculum, based on the work of Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith of
Boston, is founded on the long-standing premise that violence can be
stopped before it is started.
